Agenda item

Governance Arrangements for Community Safety and Safeguarding in B&NES

The Board is asked to note the new B&NES Community Safety and Safeguarding Partnership arrangements.

 

11:45am – 20 minutes - Lesley Hutchinson

Minutes:

The Chair invited Lesley Hutchinson (Director for Safeguarding and Quality Assurance) to introduce the report.

 

Lesley Hutchinson took the meeting through the report as per bullet point 1.1 and highlighted the following issues:

 

  • Launch of the Partnership on 28th September 2019;
  • Legal framework did not specify how the funding would be allocated between the partners;
  • Nobody would be overlooked with the new governance arrangements;
  • There has already been some joint work with the Avon and Somerset Police, especially with children affected by County Lines;
  • New Independent Chair appointment; and
  • Everyone in the new Partnership were ready to start with new Governance Arrangements for Community Safety and Safeguarding in B&NES 

 

The Chair thanked Lesley Hutchinson for the report and commented that one of the main reasons for setting up new Governance Arrangements for Community Safety and Safeguarding in B&NES was to not lose anyone in the system.

 

Jo Scammell welcomed the new governance arrangements and added that this would benefit young people who were going through transition from young age to adulthood.  Jo Scammell expressed her concerns on the funding arrangements and also about the training provision for the new body.

 

Lesley Hutchinson replied that financial contributions have been agreed with the Council, B&NES NHS CCG and Avon and Somerset Constabulary. Contributions from the other two statutory partners – Avon Fire and Rescue and the National Probation Service would be provided through staff resource. There was no requirement in the legislation for Avon Fire and Rescue and the National Probation Service to contribute financially.  In terms of the training arrangements – the new body would not do anything different from what previous bodies did.

 

Paul Harris welcomed the new arrangements however he expressed his concerns about the attendance, as turnout at previous Boards was not that good.

 

Lesley Hutchinson inform the Board that arrangements for Independent Scrutiny, which was a statutory requirement to produce as part of the new arrangements, have been put in place. Also, the Health and Wellbeing Board and other equivalent Committees/Bodies would receive regular Annual Reports like they did in the past.

 

It was RESOLVED to note the report and to receive annual reports from Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) and the Local Safeguarding Adult Board (LSAB) at the next meeting of the Board.

 

NOTE: The Senior Democratic Services Officer has been informed straight after the meeting that annual reports from Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) and the Local Safeguarding Adult Board (LSAB) have been circulated to all Members of the Health and Wellbeing Board in advance of the meeting for them to read and comment.  As bringing the same reports for the next meeting would be seen as a duplication of agenda item, subject to approval from the Members of the Board at the next meeting, it is suggested that the resolution on this item should read:

 

It was RESOLVED to note the report and also to note the last annual reports from Local Safeguarding Children Board and the Local Safeguarding Adult Board.

Supporting documents: